January 16, 2017, Board of Education Meeting

​On January 16th the Board of Education was presented with four possible options to consider for the April facilities referendum. The primary differences between the options was cost and how the capacity issues on the east side were addressed.

After discussing the options, the Board of Education agreed that Option 3 best met the needs of students and families and did so in a fiscally responsible way.

In addition, CFO Andrew Sarnow discussed with the Board the possibility of an operating referendum in April as well. Currently the District's revenue cap is 7.5% lower than the state average. The Board agreed to consider a $16.5M operational referendum for April, which would bring the District revenue limit to the state average.

The Board of Education's next meeting is January 23, where they will consider a vote on a resolution for a construction referendum and a resolution for an operating referendum.

January 9, 2017 Board Meeting

On January 9, 2017 the Board of Education continued its discussion from the January 3rd Board Meeting regarding facility projects for a proposed April referendum. The public is encouraged to attend the January 16th Board Meeting and engage in discussion with the Board regarding the proposed April referenda.

In addition, Chief Financial Officer Andrew Sarnow presented at the January 9th meeting on a possible operating referendum.

January 3, 2017 Board Meeting

On January 3 the Board of Education met to discuss a possible April referendum to address east side capacity issues. The Board reviewed a list of projects and costs associated and discussed what might be included in an April referendum.

Michel Clark from Baird presented on possible financing options. See presentation. In addition, members of the community shared their perspectives about a referendum.

The Board decided to hold public engagement sessions at each of its next two Board meetings, January 9 and 16, starting at 5:30 p.m., at the DOB, Room 331.

Facilities Master Plan Report

PRA Architect presented the final Facilities Master Plan Report. The report gives an extensive list of projects to address a variety of issues across the District in an effort to meet the vision for equitable, quality schools that meet the needs of all students.

The Facilities Master Plan is a list of projects for the District to consider completing over a 10-year time frame or longer. The plan is a guiding document with the understanding that should there be significant changes in enrollment, instructional practice, etc., that the plan may need to be modified.

Kent shared that priorities for the District should be Baird Elementary School, which is over capacity and no longer meets the needs of students, and overcrowding in east side schools.

Facilities Task Force Report

Facilities Community Survey

From November 9 - 23, District residents had an opportunity to provide feedback through an online survey regarding facilities' needs. The survey was administered using the Donovan Group's survey engine, in accordance with best practices in online research, and to protect the security of the survey, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses were logged and each survey was time-stamped. The District recognizes that the survey results are not a scientific sample, but rather a convenience sample.

A total of 2,990 surveys were completed. The survey questions were developed based on the input of the Facilities Task Force, who will review the survey responses and develop final recommendations for the Board.

Community Engagement Sessions

The Green Bay Area Public School District hosted four community engagement sessions to gather feedback regarding its Facilities Master Plan. District leaders and PRA Architect Nick Kent presented. View presentation. Participants were asked to provide feedback to the following four questions.

Now that you have learned about the District’s facility challenges, about flexible school design, and about the board’s efforts to address facility challenges, we have a very general question: What do you think? What are your reactions to what we have covered tonight?

As board members continue their facility-related work, what do you want the board to keep in mind? What do you think is important for the board to consider?

School board members have made it clear that they are interested in your thoughts and feedback. What additional information would you like to provide them? What have we missed?

Earlier tonight we discussed flexible, effective, modern classrooms and learning paces. What do you think? What additional information will you be looking for as it relates to this topic?

Other Resources:

The Green Bay Area Public School District does not discriminate against a person's sex, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability. - Wis. Stat. Sec. 118.13